donaldson



(No Model.) 1 I 2Sheets-Sheet 1;

J. E. DONALDSON 8v E. 0. ELDER.

ROOFING TILE- No. 465,364. Patented Dec. 15, 1891.

ll egrns J/zn E. Donaldson.

(No Model.) 2 SheetsT-Sheet 2.

J. E. DONALDSON & B. 0, ELDER. ROOFING TILE. No.5,364. In Patented Dec. 15,1891.

E F E. F

B AP;

W V I G l ll azbirs Jbhn E. Donaldson.

fyfhei gm y Edward CfEld i UN TED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN E. DONALDSO N, OF MONTEZUMA, AND EDWARD O. ELDER, OF

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA;

ROOFING-TILE. I

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 465,364, dated December .15, 1891.

Q I Application filed March 18, 1891. Serial No. 3235;509. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

-Be it known that we, JOHN E. DONALDSON, of Montezuma, Parke county, Indiana, and EDW'ARD O. ELDER, of Indianapolis, inthe county of Marion and State of Indiana, citizens of the United States, have invented a new and useful Roofing-Tile, of which the following is a specification.

This, invention relates to roofing, and more especially to the tiles used for this purpose, which are generally made of burnt clay or similar material.

The object of the invention is to produce certain improvements in the construction of such tiles whereby they will fit together in stacking, yet leave sufficient space for burning, whereby they have a certain degree of transverse and longitudinal adjustment when applied to the roof, whereby means are provided for preventing snow from beating up under the lower edge of a tile or the tile from slipping downward. if its fastening devices break, and whereby the water running down the roof will be directed away from the longitudinal joints between the tiles. These ob jects we effect by our improved tile,-which is constructed substantially as hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and as illustrated on the two sheets of' drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a roof, showing several tiles securedthereon in position. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the face, and Fig. 3 of the back, of a single tile. Figs. i and 5 are elevations of the lower ends of two tiles when connected, showing the transverse adjustment. Figs. 6 and 7 are longitudinal sections of two tiles when connected, showing the longitudinal adjustment. Fig. 8 isa longitudinal section of several tiles as stacked for burning in the kiln.

Referring to the said drawings, the letter R designates the sheeting of a roof which is covered with our improved tiles, each of the latter being of the following construction:

Fig. 2 shows the face of our improved tile, which has a depression D, thereby saving considerable material, and near the lower end of the bottom'of this depression is located a pair of channels A A, completing an A-shaped figure, whereby the water running down the depression D will fall into the channels and be guided thereby to either side of the joint between the two tiles next below in the roof.

At the upper end of the face is a raised transverse rib G, neareach end of which is a hole .0 for fasteningscrews or nails, and these holes are preferably connected along the face of the rib G by a groove E, whereby when the tiles are to be secured upon the metallic sheeting of a roof wire lacings may be employed,

which shall pass through the tin, upwardly in one hole 0, along the groove E, downwardly through the other hole 0, through the tin, and

along beneath the same transversely of the roof to a point below the first hole of the next I tile.

J is a flange extending along the lower half of one side S of the tile, the upper face of the flange standing about flush with that of the depression D.. The upper end of this flange is plain; but the main portion of its body is provided with agroove or depression K, leaving a small bead I along its outer edge,

all for a purpose to appear hereinafter.

Fig. 3 shows the back of our improved tile, which has a'cavity B near its upper end, extending nearly across the tile, and a raised Web 0 near its lower end, which is slightly shorter in length than said cavity. Across the lower end of this back is a rib F, of equal and also brings its own web 0 on the upper face, so as to extend upwardlyinto the cavity B of the tile above. As the reversal is lengthwise of the tile, the rib G", which was at the upper end on the face, exchanges places with the rib F, which was at the lower end on the back, and the result is that there is an upwardly-projecting rib at the upper end and a downwardly-projecting rib at the lower end of each tile in the stack. These ribs hold the faces of the tiles slightly separated, as shown, and greatly facilitate burning. At the lefthand edgeof the back (when it is inverted) is formed a flange L, which extends from the (then) lower half of this side,andsaid flange has a plainface, except that a small bead H rises above such face along the outer edge thereof and extends nearly to the upper end.

A roof composed of these improved tiles is of course made by applying the lower row first-that is, the row along the eaves-and securing them to the roofing-board by wire, as above described, or by screws or nails. The lower ends of the tiles in this row should ap pear as in Fig. 4:, with the flange L of one tile overlapping the fiange J of the next to the right and the side edges SS in close contact. It sometimes occurs,.however, that the roof may not be in width exactly a multiple of the width of a tile, and in order to adjust the sametra'nsversely, so'asito bring the last upright. row of tiles flush with theedge-ofthe roof: the flanges Jiand-L may be. moved slightly upon each other, whichwill causethe beads H andI to. standsomewhat. closer, as seen in Fig; 5, and the result willbe that the air-space- M between these; beads will bezsmaller than when the. sides Sfwerein. close contact An;- other result which will follow is that there.

will be aslight' openi-ngzQbetween theflange; L of. onetileand the-:side s-or theYnext; but; the l\-shap.ed1 grooves: of the-tilenext above: will direct the Water to either: side of this opening, as. abovedescribed. Still: such water as will fall'into the opening will simply run down and out. ot the lower end thereof into the eaves or onto the tile next below,

1 may be som ewhat changed, without. departing from the: spirit. of our'invention; butwe con.- sider-it always-'advisablethat! a. certain: transverse-adjustmentof the; tilesbe'permiss-ible, i

not. only for thezpurposebefore: described, but also; to. allow'for' the. variations in size due to contraction? and expansion- In the same manner as: aboverdescribed, as the; rows of'til'es; are secured: upon and: across the. roofiitv may be; found that. the: height of.

the roof is not a multipleofi the lenigthlof the.

tile; In order to allow for certain longitudinaladjustment of the. tiles soas toibri ng the upper row flush with the ridgapol'eof the. roof, werhave-located the Web 0 at some distance; above: the lower rib": F. As.- the-lo.wer end of each tile is; placed over the upper end of the tile below, the downwardly-projecting ribon the former strikes the'faceofi the late terand: the upwardly-projecting rib G-at the upper end of said tile. strikes. thezback of the upper tile, these ribs being. ordinarilysuch distance-apart that considerable space N is left between them and the-upper end ofv the lower tile comes.- flush against the lower face of the web. G on the upper tile. In this position. said web obviously stands across theupper end of thelongitudinal junction between the two tilesin the row nextv below,,and hence if said" two tiles have the. opening Q above and under the lower end of the tile above,

because the web 0 covers the upper end of that opening, as will be clear. However, near the ridge-pole of -the roof. thetiles may be longitudinally expanded alittle as theyare laid, as shown in Fig. 7, the result being that the space N will be slightly reduced in size and that the web 0 will not come in contact with the upper end of the tiles in theIrOW below. This web is also useful for preventing any tile whose. fastening may have become broken or rusted away from shpping down and-out of place, because in such event the web would strike the upper end of the tiles below, whereby itWOuld-be positively held in position. I I

It will thus. be. see n; that a. tileconstructed in accordance witlrthe above-description may be: easily stackedin' a closepile whichwill yet. possess. the. necessary passage-ways, so-

. thatithe whole can bev burned thoroughly may 1be secured to the roofing-boardsby-screwsor by wire, is susceptible. of. a certain. amount of transverse. and longitudinal: adjnstmenh. f whichv not only'facilita-tes-z its.- application to 313116 roof, but also allows of' contraction and- ?{expansion after applicatiomis provided with :ij'chann'elsto. direct the? water; away from. they longitudinal. joint-s, has interlocking beads.

within said joints,-so as. topreventwatertleaking; through onto. the roofing-board's5ghas. a

Etransverse web, which prevents; the water gbeatingup under. thetile, and also. prevents the tile2frem slipping out of. placed-ff lQtSif-QSE ening. devices becom eibrok'en, and is still! ofai sizes and configuration which is. easy to mold: andtoburn,but. yet. which ecenomizes: th

material without sacrificing strength.

siderable strength. to resist a tendency to crack it; transversely; The: portion thereof The. thickened edges-of the; tilegiveit conthrough. which theiwiresx or'screws; are-passed and which is; therefore subj ectedto theggreat-v est; strain is the; full. thickness. of the material, ,se as: to. be lessali-kely to. break, and the portion thereof which is depressed at. itscenter. andawhich is farther reduced in size by theinclineid groo.ves.A, sothat itdsthe. weak+ estpart of the tile, is strengthened against longitudinal cracking. or cracking upone; of

the: grooves, which should. be. most. likely to occur by a good-sized web C ontheunder side.

\Vhat. is claimed as. newis- 1. The herein-described tile, haying a depression in its face and. in saiddepression groovesforming an A -shaped.figu-re the-lewer ends-of said grooves. extending; to POlHtSEIIQEtL the lower corners of the tile, as. and. forthe purpose set. forth. g

2. The herein-described tile, providedwith a. cavity in its back. near its upper end, having interlocking flanges along its sides and having. a transverse depending web; onits back adapted to stand above the upper endsof the flanges of two tiles in the row next be.-

low when on the roof, said web being the same distance from the lower end as is the cavity from the upper end, whereby the web is adapted to enter said cavity when the tiles are stacked, all as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The herein-described tile, havingan upwardly-projecting rib across the upper end of its face, a downwardly-projecting rib across the lower end of its back, said ribs being of equal thickness, interlocking flanges along its sides, and a transverse depending Web on its back adapted to stand above the upper ends of the flanges of two tiles in the row next below, the back being provided with a cavity as far from its upper end as is the web from its lower end, all as and for the purpose set forth.

4. The herein-described tile, having an upwardly-projecting rib across the upper end of 1 its face and provided with a depression in its face at some distance below said rib, and also having a downwardly -projecting rib across the lower end of its back, said ribs being of equal thickness and of a width to permit some longitudinal adjustment between the tiles in two rows, as and for the purpose set forth.

5. 'lheherein-described tile, the same having interlocking flanges across its upper and lower ends, said flanges being of equal thickness, a depending transverse web on the back adapted to stand acrossthe meeting edges of the two tiles in the row next below, and a cavity in said back at a point to receive said web when the tiles are stacked, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have hereto affixed our signatures N in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN E. DONALDSON. EDWARD c. ELDER. 

